A catastrophic rail accident occurred on Thursday afternoon in Gonda, UP, derailing six coaches of the Chandigarh-Dibrugarh Express. The incident claimed 2 lives, with 31 reported injuries. Reflecting on a year marked by three major rail disasters, it becomes imperative to scrutinize these events closely.
June 17, 2024,
witnessed the tragic collision of the Siliguri-Agartala Kanchanjunga Express with a freight train near the Rangapani station in West Bengal, resulting in at least 10 fatalities and over 30 injuries.
October 29, 2023,
a signal failure and human error led to the collision of Visakhapatnam-Palasa and Visakhapatnam-Raigad passenger trains in Andhra Pradesh, with a death toll of at least 11.
June 2, 2023,
saw a horrendous crash in Odisha's Balasore district as three trains collided—Coromandel Express struck a stationary freight train and was subsequently hit by an oncoming superfast express. This disaster led to the loss of approximately 300 lives.
'So far, we have reports of 2 fatalities and 31 injuries. All the injured have been dispatched to hospitals and the other passengers are continuing their journey via relief trains from Mankapur... Compensations of 10 lakh rupees for the deceased, 2.5 lakh for the seriously injured, and 50,000 for the injured have been announced', said the Northeastern Railway's general manager, Soumya Mathur.
The Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath, has taken cognizance of the rail accident in Gonda. He has issued instructions to expedite the relief efforts and ensure proper treatment for the injured. Following the CM’s directions, hospitals, community health centers (CHCs), and primary health centers (PHCs) in the vicinity are put on high alert. The State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) has reached the site and is actively involved in the rescue operations.
The Chief Minister of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma, has been apprised of the derailment of the Dibrugarh-Chandigarh Express in Uttar Pradesh. His office announced, 'He is monitoring the situation and the Assam government is in touch with the concerned authorities.'
CPRO of Northeastern Railways, Pankaj Singh stated, '...The railway's medical van has reached the spot, and rescue operations have commenced. Helpline numbers have been released. The incident occurred around 2:37 PM. As per preliminary reports, 4-5 coaches have derailed...'
The Northeastern Railways have released helpline numbers:
- Commercial Control: 9957555984 - Furketing (FKG): 9957555966 - Mariani (MXN): 6001882410 - Simlaguri (SLGR): 8789543798 - Tinsukia (NTSK): 9957555959 - Dibrugarh (DBRG): 9957555960
Questions Raised by Mahua Moitra Over the Government's Handling
The TMC MP, Mahua Moitra, criticized the center's response to the rail accident, remarking, "Another mishap in UP, a shameful event. After 10 years under the current government, the Indian Railways seems to be in an emergency state. It's vital that collision avoidance systems are implemented on all routes immediately. The total cost is just ₹63,000 crores, while the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project is costing ₹1,08,000 crores."
